Hi there, newbie question

[Larry]

Hi, sorry if this has been asked before but I could not find the info on a search. I'm thinking about starting to make my own pickups and need to know what are the must have tools. I have seen the Schatten winder at StewMac, is this a good unit to start winding with? Also I was going to use their pickup kits to get me started until I gain more experiance about this.

Thanks in advance for any info you can share.

Larry

[belwar]

For just starting out, the shatten winder would do just fine. Many people here like to build thier own winders though. The humbucker kits that stew mac sells are a good beginner kit as they have all the parts you need for one price. Most makers here tend to use a mix of products from different places to get the best results. I.e. pole screws from one place, base plates from another.

Must have tools?

A decent quality soldering station, a real gauss meter, a good volt meter, and patience.

a good gauss meter is the GM-200A from www.carlsenmelton.com

[David Schwab]

You can save a lot of money making your own winder, if you want a basic winder like a Schatten.

I'm still using a Schatten, but now that I have the resources to make one, I'm probably going that route. But the Schatten works fine, as do the Stew-mac kits.

[Larry]

Thanks for the response so far. I have the solder station, good volt meter and the patience, now just need the gauss meter. I'll check out the GM-200A meter. Thanks again. Oh, also how are the single coil pickups fron StewMac?

Larry

[PoorMan]

Thanks for the response so far. I have the solder station, good volt meter and the patience, now just need the gauss meter. I'll check out the GM-200A meter. Thanks again. Oh, also how are the single coil pickups fron StewMac?

Larry

A gaussmeter is not a "must have" item. Nice to have, but not required to make a pickup. Wolfe has run a successful pickup business for years without one. He just got one last year.
http://music-electronics-forum.com/s...ead.php?t=1515

I've heard the StewMac single coil mags aren't the best, but I've never used one of their kits so I can't comment first-hand.

[chevalij]

Thanks for the response so far. I have the solder station, good volt meter and the patience, now just need the gauss meter. I'll check out the GM-200A meter. Thanks again. Oh, also how are the single coil pickups fron StewMac?

Larry

You can also get by without a gaussmeter for a while. If you're going the stewmac route, buy some of their small neodymium guitar repair magnets to charge the poles. Not sure about their kits.

[Peter Naglitsch]

I started out with the StewMac kits a few years ago and they are OK quality for the price and the benefit of getting all from one supplier. The HB kits are a better bang for the money, but the SC kits are also OK. If you get stuck on this you will sooner or later start thinking of experimenting with different types of magnets and then you will have to find them elsewhere. Steven Kerstin (SK66 on this forum) has a selection of different magnets available at decent prices and he is really good to do business with.

[David Schwab]

I still don't have a Gauss meter. I don't use many Alnico magnets, so I'm generally not concerned since the magnets I'm using are not easy to degauss.

It is on my things-to-get list, along with an Exteck 380193 LCR meter, and a freakin' $800 crimping tool for header pins.

Maybe I'll just farm those cables out ...

[NightWinder]

...

I think you should get a Gauss Meter. Its a great educational tool that can explain alot of things- Lots of Hows, but better explains the Whys. Even if you never sell any pickups, it will definately help you with way more consistant pickups. Look for bigger Neo's on ebay- Stew macs don't fully saturate the magnet but are great to Degauss the fully saturated magnet.
If you plan on starting a business- Its a must have item. Very important...

[kevinT]

Stew macs don't fully saturate the magnet but are great to Degauss the fully saturated magnet.

+1 they can sap the life out of them quickly especially the lower grade Alnicos. I don't know how many times I've had to recharge a mag because the neo sapped too much from it.

[Larry]

Thanks for the heads up on the StewMac magnets. Once I get the hang of winding pickups I do plan to sell them ( I know this might be a while to get it right but you have to start somewhere, right?) Right now I plan on making some pickups to put in my own guitars to get the sound I'm looking for.

I make my ouwn custom guitar and mic cables now and am looking at the pickups. Thanks again for all the tips and information you guys share here.

Larry